Daughter's Lament
by Gizm0
Summary: The daughter of an Asari crime lord is framed for her mother's murder. Soon she'll be thrown into the crime underworld as her and her sister try and solve their mother's murder.
1. Chapter 1

The Keplar's syndrome was eating away at the inside, and each day Yow felt weaker and weaker. He sat on the veranda, watching the flowers blossom this summer morning; the air felt nice on his damp skin. He stared at the London skyline from the penthouse, looking at the tiny dots that coved the sky. You would hardly accept as true that a year ago the city had been ravaged by the Reaper's. The restructure had taken time, but London was more stunning than ever before. Yow was so taken in by the view that he hadn't even heard the door open.

"Hello You, nice to see you again." She greeted him.

Yow was taken aback by the sudden appearance of this woman. She was blue; not just blue, but a bright, vibrant beautiful blue. Her tendrils were short and pulled back, the typical style of an Asari, and dressed in a firm black jump suit that showed off her slender figure.

"Hello Yow." She stated plainly as she took the seat next to Yow.

"Dahlia, I haven't seen you in years. How've you been?"

"Just fine…."

They enjoyed the view for several moments; Yow repeatedly took sips from his tea cup, thinking of a way to crack the uncomfortable silence. "I know what this is about."

"Good. Can we go ahead and get it over with?"

"Can I just ask why?

"Orders, Matriarch T'Anzi wants you. So I came to find you."

"Why? I paid all my debts years ago."

"She says it's time."

"Can't I just let this illness kill me calmly?"

The two say again in an awkward silence. Yow turned on Beethoven and continued to enjoy his sunset, allowing the young woman get up and walk behind him.

"It'll be quick, I promise….."

She pulled out her Volt SR Pistol with an attached silencer and aimed it at the skull of the old man; pulling the trigger without a subsequent consideration. Dahlia cleaned her outfit off, wiping the cold Drell blood from herself and the scene. It shattered her heart to kill such a dear family friend; but orders were orders; and no one disobeyed Matriarch T'Anzi. Not even her own daughter. Dahlia lifted the body upright and removed what her mother had sent her to recover; a small Drell talisman.

_Funny_, she thought, _I always thought this thing was worthless._

Dahlia placed the talisman inside her belt pouch and called her ride. An Atlas-class 61 gunship flew alongside the veranda, opening the side access door. Dahlia stood, balanced on the railing of the veranda and jumped the two-hundred story gap between the building and the ship. She was grabbed at the wrist by an armed man holding a rifle.

"Did you retrieve the talisman?"

Dahlia said nothing; instead she motioned in the direction of the lifeless body of her former comrade. The merc hit the chair of the pilot two times, signaling the job was complete. Dahlia looked out at the city through the still open doors, grappling to the supports that hung above her. The towering buildings shone in the morning light as the gunship sailed across the sky, leaving behind twin trails of exhaust. The gunship doors finally closed as they entered stratosphere. Dahlia took the co-pilots chair and watched the atmospheric conditions.

"Now entering the Mesosphere."

"Affirmative," said the pilot.

Dahlia continued to watch the VDT, watching as the transport approached the space station. The station was petite, but served its single intention. To be the residence of Matriarch T'Anzi. The gunship quickly approached the station and landed in the concealed docking bay. This of course was only to deliver Dahlia; generally each person on the shuttle would've been executed for using the bosses' own bay. Dahlia silently exited the shuttle and climbed the access ramp to the elevator. She was worried, her heart began pulsating. She didn't even understand why. Her mission had been successful, but she always felt this way when she went to see her mother. The sliding doors opened and Dahlia stepped out. Her heels clicking on the hard floor. She was jealous of her mother's quarters; he always had the ideal view of both the Earth and the moon. Dahlia's mother sat in front of a grand window meditating.

"Mother?"

Matriarch T'Anzi stuck up her hand fixed into a fist, signaling silence.

"Leave us." She said, referring to his Asari attendants; Dahlia hadn't even noticed them. "Were you successful?"

"Yes ma'am." Her mother liked short answers.

"Were there any complications?"

"No ma'am."

"Good, Good. Give it here."

Dahlia grabbed the talisman from her belt pocket and handed it to her mother.

"Excellent. You may leave." Matriarch T'Anzi turned around ignoring her daughter's presence.

"Mother?"

Matriarch T'Anzi turned around, obviously annoyed that her daughter was still in the room."Yes?" Condescension arose in her voice.

"May I ask why Yow had to be killed?"

"No, you can ask no questions."

Matriarch T'Anzi twisted back around in her chair and continued to ignore his daughter. Dahlia refused to wait any longer; she left the room livid with her mother. She was forever like this; she continuously overlooked Dahlia, she almost certainly couldn't even tell you where her other two daughters were, or even if they were still on the station. The reality was that the center Matriarch T'Anzi daughter was a hired gun like Dahlia; she was currently working for the Alliance eliminating ambassadorial enemies. The Alliance realized the necessity for them after Councilor Udina took the Council hostage a year before. The youngest Matriarch T'Anzi sibling was somewhere on the Citadel, she'd left the 'family business' at a young age; deciding to leave behind her mother and sisters. Dahlia envied her sisters, neither led a fascinating life, but at least they didn't live under the silhouette of their mother. As an Asari, it was Dahlia's duty as the eldest daughter to carry on living with her mother, helping her in any enterprise she wished. Dahlia walked into her room, a dark cranberry colored chamber. She lay on her bed, staring at the skylight into the dark abyss of space as she cradled a worn Asari doll her mother had given her when she was a child, the only time of Dahlia's life in which her mother had ever cared about her. Dahlia stood up, hitting the remote to lock her door and start her stereo. She removed her jumpsuit and stood putting on a short nightgown that was decorated with golden Asari symbols. She climbed on her bed and lay there, staring at the empty sky. She became bored rather quickly and pulled out a small tablet computer, using her skill she was able to break into her mother's security mainframe. She took control of the two security cameras in her mother's room. Curiosity had gotten the best of her. Dahlia transferred the data to a superior holo-screen adjacent to her divan and watched. Nothing usually happened in her mother's room, she preferred to discuss business in her private conference room, but she decided she should check anyway. Dahlia was surprised to see three figures enter her mother's room. One a Human male dressed in a suit and carrying a brief case. The second, a Asari female dressed scantly, an obvious court of the Human, the third figure was an holographic A.I; This type of A.I was used when no holo-enabled table was around. There was no sound, but a meeting in her mother's personnel quarters was intriguing enough for Dahlia's eyes to remain glued to the screen. The droid began to spark and soon the form of a male Drell took his place. He bore a resemblance to Yow, but this Drell was darker than the deceased man. For several minutes; business took place that Dahlia couldn't hear. She was about to turn off the screen when the hologram disappeared and another took its place. It was Dahlia! The spitting image of her, as though she was gazing into a mirror. The hologram of Dahlia then raised her signature Volt pistol and fired exactly three shots into her mother's abdomen. It then walked towards her and placed a final bullet between her eyes. Dahlia unlocked her door and sprinted into towards the elevator. She pressed the button so many times she was sure she broke it. Time seemed to last forever; she sat crouched in the corner of the elevator sobbing until she finally reached the top floor. She entered the pass-code into the console and ran into her mother's room. No one was inside except for the lifeless body of her mother; she gripped her mother's cold hand. She picked up the execution weapon and tossed it into the corner.

"What's going on?_" _ Asked a guard from outside the room. It was the exact guard who'd helped her get into the gunship. "Hey! Stop right there!"

Dahlia turned around, shocked. "It wasn't me! I didn't do this!" She yelled pointing to her mother. The room started glowing red and the alarm sounded. Dahlia ran out of the room, tackling the guard. She ran into the elevator.

_I'll just have to explain myself, show them the video._ She thought to herself. The elevator stopped and the lights flickered until they turned red. _Power's off_.

"_Attention Dahlia._ _You are being placed under arrest for the murder of your mother. Turn yourself in now and we'll be lenient._" Said the Captain of the Guard over the intercom. Dahlia knew this was a setup. Whoever that Human male was set this whole thing up! He was the key to her innocence. Dahlia climbed out of the top hatch of the elevator, the cold air shocking her bare legs. She climbed the hatch until she thought she reached the floor her room was on. Dahlia forced open the door until there was a gap large enough for her to crawl in. She was met with two guards. They began running towards her when she jumped over them, forcing them to slam into one another. Dahlia entered the pass-code to enter her room and quickly locked it once again. She scanned the room quickly for the computer but it was nowhere to be found! She searched everywhere until she was interrupted by guards banging on her door. They began hotwiring her security system; it wouldn't take long for their equipment to bust through the door. She grabbed her bag and packed her pistol, jumpsuit and boots. She climbed into the air conditioning duct, knowing she could make her way to her mother's hanger and take her ship. She had to figure out who those two men were, why they murdered her mother and why they framed her.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

SECRETS ON THE CITADEL

_One week after the murder of Matriarch T'Anzi_

Alia T'Anzi walked down the glorious hallways of the Citadel. Her azure skin complimented by the black and white skirt; heels clacking on the hard steel floor. Currently, she had a meeting she was fashionably late for; though that was not her intent. Recent news of her mother's murder hadn't exactly shocked her; she'd learned when she was young that her mother would die soon, especially with her being one of the most prominent Asari Crime Matriarchs. She knew sooner or later; and Alia hoped for the sooner, that her mother's actions would soon catch up with her. Alia entered the large room, and as expected; the meeting was already in progress, though she'd bought an end to that.

"Nice of you to join us Office T'Anzi." Said the man at the head of the table.

"My apologizes Commissioner Aye." Alia said as she took the last empty seat at the table.

"Now, back to business." Aye quickly gave Alia a look that would cleanly slice glass. "Please continue Mister An'dak."

Just then a Drell stood from his seat. Skin as blue as the ocean and eyes darker than space, An'dak picked up a cane from his side and walked towards the front of the room. "Thank you Commissioner Aye." An'dak looked at Alia directly. "Officer T'Anzi. Earlier this morning a message was delivered to me by personal assistant that my friend Xaero Yow had been murdered."

"I am well aware of the circumstances, my men and I have been informed of the situation."

"Then you are well aware of your sister's involvement in the assassination of my friend?"

"Yessir."

"And how is the investigation going?"

"My men and I have strong reason to believe that the suspect fled to the Omega space station. There she'd be protected by the authority of Aria T'Loak and her mercenaries."

"And have you been able to find the items that Miss Dahlia took from my friend?"

"We scrubbed both the residence of Mr. Yow and my mother's home. The talisman you reported stolen was not found in either location. It is believed that my sister is still in procession of it."

"That talisman is a family heirloom! It's worth more than all your lives!" The Drell slammed a fist hard on the table and motioned to all the people at the table.

"Calm down Mister An'dak" Aye finally interrupted. "Officer Alia and her men are doing her best to recover your stolen items."

"My apologizes Mr. Aye."

"Are there any other questions you have for Officer Alia?"

"No," An'dak sat down with a look of displease on his face.

"So Lieutenant Jackson," began Aye; turning towards the man in uniform next to Alia. "Have you contacted T'Loak?"

"I've attempted several times Commissioner. But T'Loak has refused any request we've made for a meeting."

"Damn, I knew she was difficult; but not _this _difficult. All we want to do is ask her a few questions about the Matriarch."

"Sir, if I may. We have her daughter right here!" said Jackson motioning towards Alia.

"Lieutenant, I hadn't spoken to my mother in nearly a century. I had no desire to learn about anything she did or was involved in."

"My apologizes Officer T'Anzi."

"Officer Jackson," Aye interrupted, "continue trying to contact T'Loak. Officer T'Anzi; you continue to look for your sister."

"Yessir." They said simultaneously.

"Now if you'll excuse the rest of us, we have more private matters at hand."

Lieutenant Jackson Tyler was tall, with broad shoulders and dark brown hair. Alia had always admired him; by human standards he was very handsome. She supposed she felt something akin to attraction towards him. Though partnerships among the Asari were very different from human relationships, she admired him for his genetics. He had the strength of a thresher maw and was incredibly strong willed. He had knowledge of nearly every Alliance weapon and knew how to pilot over a dozen different spacecraft. His genetics would make a fine daughter, though Alia had different things to worry about. The two C-SEC officers walked down the giant hallway, not a word had been spoken between the two since that instance in the conference room. It was Jackson who finally broke the tension.

"You okay? You seem distracted."

"Just worried about my sister is all." Alia gripped her arm.

"That's understandable. She murdered your mother; the most influential Asari criminal Matriarch in all of Citadel space."

"Do you really think she did it?"

"All the video surveillance points to her. Plus we have testimonies from several guards that she attacked."

"I just can't believe she would so something like that. Sure she had difficulties with mother, but we all did. I just can't…."

"It's fine Alia, even if she isn't guilty we still need to bring her in so we can find who is. Plus she may know what happened to that talisman that An'dak wants so badly."

"Okay," Alia stopped the conversation quietly "Well goodnight Lieutenant Tyler."

"Goodnight Officer T'Anzi. See ya' tomorrow."

Alia watched him walk away through the door of her residence. Sometimes that man stole her breath, but she had no idea how to convey any interest in him, as stated before, Asari and Human 'relationships' were very different. Alia walked through the archway of her apartment, laying her keys and purse on the kitchen counter, removing her heels and walking into the living room.

"How did it go?" asked someone from the corner of the room. This voice was no surprise to Alia; her sister had arrived on The Citadel six days before and asked Alia for help in proving her innocence. Alia walked over to the sectional sofa and joined her in watching the television.

"I told them I believe you fled to Omega to look for Aria."

"What happens if your friend actually gets Aria, she'll tell them I'm not on Omega."

"Jackson will never get Aria; she'll never approve his council."

"What about those two men I told you about? The ones that really murdered mother."

"I found twenty people matching the description of the Drell, about a dozen matching the Human. Wasn't there anyone else that was with them?"

"No," Alia thought for a moment. "Wait! There was another, an Asari. She had purple skin with blue freckles. She looked like a servant of the human."

"Was there anything particular about her, any markings or tattoos?"

"She had a tattoo on her wrist. A symbol; it was a black Turian skull."

"Wait. Purple skin, blue freckles, black tattoo." She entered the queries into her tablet computer. There's one Asari like that in our databases. Jalessa Janious. Wanted on two counts of larceny and one count of grand theft auto. Her bail was paid by one Soloman Shjah. There's no record of him, but at least we have a name."

"Where can we find Jalessa?"

"One of her aliases is Kinara D'Laque. She serves drinks part-time at Flux here on The Citadel."

"I'll go look tonight."

"Should you be going out? After all you are a wanted woman." Said Alia joking at her sister.

"Do you know how many blue skinned Asari are on The Citadel? Besides, I have a disguise ready."

Dahlia moved into her sister's spare bedroom and dressed in her familiar black jumpsuit. She dressed her face in blue makeup, covering the small purple tint she had. She also placed forest green contacts in her eyes. "How do I look?" She asked Alia, spinning, allowing for the full outfit to be shown.

"I can hardly tell it's you. Do you have your pistol?"

Dahlia slid her sleeve down, revealing a small pistol that could slide out upon demand. "I've got a few extra thermal clips in case. I'm hoping I don't have to use it though."

"You and me both. "


End file.
